Evan will be here from 11am. In the meantime, here's an extract from Ewan Murray's report on the second round:

Open championships need not always bow to conventional ways. The 141st playing of golf's oldest major has witnessed a wavy-haired country and western fan from Nashville storm to the summit of the leaderboard.

By close of play, a more familiar tale had emerged. In a brilliant moment of theatre, Tiger Woods holed his greenside bunker shot on the 18th, moving to within four of Brandt Snedeker and triggering chatter about the possibility of a 15th major victory for the greatest golfer of his generation. Adam Scott lies just a shot adrift of Snedeker but the denouement to Woods's second round gave a fresh perspective to this competition.

"I just do what I do," said Woods. "Overall, I'm very pleased at where I'm at. We're at the halfway point and I'm right there in the mix."

Woods will not say it but others will; Snedeker has much cause to look over his shoulder. Especially, that is, with rough weather forecast and Woods seeking a return to the top of the world rankings.

Morning. Evan's been delayed so for the moment you get my debonair, informed, handsome and compulsive liar self instead.

Before the tournament started Scott Anthony's money would have been on Graeme McDowell (currently T5) or Luke Donald (currently T11), but the actual leaderboard at the start of the morning looked like this:

11.10am: The leaders will be out on course from around 1500. It says it all about his performance this week that Lee Westwood is on the 16th. Where he has just gone through the back of the green. Painful. He chips on and misses the putt. He's par for the round today and three-over-par for the championship.

11.20am: Padraig Harrington almost thins a chip against the flag on the fifth to save par. He's one under for the day but way back in midfield. His partner Rory McIlroy misses his putt for par, adding another bogey to the one he notched on hole four. He's two over for the day and struggling, quite obviously, for rhythm.

11.33am: It used to be English cricket fans who prayed for bad weather, these days it's golfers. Ian Poulter has just given an interview bemoaning the lack of wind. The problem with the Open this year is the benign weather conditions, apparently.

To be fair, Poulter is not short of bluster himself - he never is - 'I am going to have lots of chances,' he says.

Of course he's right. If he is going to claw back ten shots on the leaders he really is going to need the wind to pick up for the current leaders this afternoon.

11.39am: John Daly just made a fine recovery from a sodden bunker on 16. He should save par. But he's ten over for the championship. No Sunday lie in for him.

11.46am: Tom Watson, five times winner, gets a fine ovation on the 18th. The 62 year-old made his 25th cut at the Open yesterday by rolling in a 25 footer on the last green. It's gone less well today, he finished six over for the day, nine over for the championship.

His partner Lee Westwood misses a short put to card a one over par round, four over for the tournament.

It's time to welcome in Evan Fanning who's here to mark your card for the afternoon's action.

11.52am: Hello there. What's all the fuss about? It's just some guys hitting a ball with a stick. In Guardian Towers my colleague John Ashdown has just professed that The Open is his least favourite of all the hyped sporting events. But if it's good enough for Norm MacDonald ...

11.59am: Harrington tees off on the 8th and is a "lucky, lucky boy" according to Peter Alliss. His compatriot McIlroy splits the fairway and BBC then cut to a news break while I have a sushi salad, which, in my opinion, is the finest salad in the Pret a Manger* repertoire.

* Other ubiquitous high street coffee shops are available

12.11pm: Ian Poulter plonks his first tee-shot on the green and then has to interrupt his chin-wag with Bubba to try and drop the ball in the hole – a 40-yard putt he rolls nicely towards the pin and finishes off for par. Bubba's tee shot left him with a two-footer for birdie which he cleans up and drops to one-under. By the way, have you seen our interactive guide to the course? Have you? Have you?

12.24pm: Bubba's looking good and has another birdie chance on the 2nd - he needs a fairly spectacular couple of rounds if he's going to get his hands on the Claret Jug but he's started pretty well today.

12.31pm: Here's Rory on the 11th - it ain't half-bad either and he lands on the fairway. Keegan Bradley - a man with not one but two stupid names - hits a fine second shot on the 18th and shot round off his round with a birdie. He's currently +1 overall.

12.39pm: Despite my earlier proclamation Bubba fails to birdie the 2nd and he's not going to birdie the 3rd either. Nor is Pouler who has gone in the bunker. Miguel Angel Jimenezzzzzzzzzzz lips out on the 2nd.

12.54pm: Harrington is deep in the Dr Evil-esque bunker just short of the 12th but he makes it look like it's exactly where he wants to be as he clips to within a couple of feet of the hole. Meanwhile, Ryan Dunne suggests a riff on favourite last episodes of TV shows. It's Cheers all the way for me.

1.14pm: Ian Poulter and has caddie are deep in conversation. Poulter reckons if he aims for the "guy in the light blue shirt and the orange hat" he should be alright. If I was that guy I would get out of the way. Despite this Poulter ends up in a bunker which is nowhere near the guy in the light blue shirt and the orange hat. Now that the cameras are gone Poulter and his caddie return to talking about which is their favourite episode of Friends.

1.20pm:Breaking news ... Carlos Tevez is at the golf today. Maybe he's the guy in the light blue shirt and tan orange hat.

1.34pm: How have you spent the last 14 minutes? I've been locked in the limbo that is the lobby area between the bathroom and the work area of Guardian Towers after the doors decided they didn't want to open. I'm back now. That's the main thing. More importantly here comes Tiger ambling towards the first tee box like a man who knows what he wants and wants it now.

1.52pm: There is very little movement on the leaderboard so far which means we are relying on the top 10 (none of whom are out on the course yet) for our hot golfing action. Of those on the course Bubba Watson is the only one making a bit of a charge. He's two under through eight and is eight behind our glorious leader, country and western's Brandt Snedeker.

2.00pm: Poulter not so much rolls in but pounds in a 12-footer for a birdie on the 9th to move to one under for the day and one under overall.

2.12pm: Rory McIlroy closes out the 18th with a par to finish the day on a disappointing three over par and an overall score of +5. Padraig Harrington bogeys the last to finish his round on 70 and is +2 overall. Bubba Watson birdies the 10th and is now three under. Bubba is on the charge

2.22pm: Steve Stricker is about to tee off. In the interest of transparency I should reveal that I have had a small bet on him to finish in the top five and this may colours all future references to the Strick-ster.

2.29pm:Anirban Lahiri has holed in one on the 9th. How much as a round of drinks at Royal Lytham?

2.31pm: Underwhelming's Luke Donald and Steven Alker tee off on the 1st. Donald hits the green but Alker is a club short and comes up just shy.

2.33pm: Mark Calcavecchia rolls a 40-footer to within a couple of feet of the pin on the 10th and he should make par and stay on three under. Meanwhile Anirban Lahiri fishes his ball from the hole after his moment of history. In less momentous news I am going to take a short break before the big guns hit the course and Scott Anthony is going to take over. Over to you Scott ...

2.43pm: On the tee Scott Anthony. Also on the tee Ernie Els (PAR) who shapes a lovely tee shot on to the front green, while fellow South African Thomas Aiken (also PAR) pushes his drive out in to the bunker. We won't mention it, if you don't mention the cricket.

Meanwhile, Bubba Watson rolls in a fantastic putt on 12, his fifth of the day to move in to... fifth. The man is on the charge.

2.50pm: On the second Luke Donald, in with half-a-chance, rolls a 25ft birdie putt close. Ish. It might be one of those kinds of days.

Back on the first, Tomas Aiken whizzes his par putt several feet past the hole and starts his round with a bogey.

2.54pm: Graeme McDowell gets his round off to a fine start, cracking an iron into the heart of the green. I am not going to call him GMAC but the crowd are. A big round for him today. 'I'm off to make a few birdies', he chirrups.

In equally fine fettle is Adam Scott, who being interviewed on his hopes for the day, says 'I'd just like to stay in touch with the big guns really'. A modest Australian with a lot not to be modest about.

3.06pm: Paul Lawrie and the ungainly-swinged Matt Kuchar, currently tied sixth, get their rounds off to solid starts. But really anticipation is building for the entry of Tiger Woods, currently doing his best to appear inconspicuous on the putting green.

Luke Donald has a tricky chance to make his first birdie of the day at three. He's the sort of player who you feel doesn't like being out in front. He could and should have a good day today. He makes the birdie! I couldn't do that from there.

Zac Johnson, having a fine back nine hits a chance for his fourth birdie of the day too hard and it lips out. I can do that.

3.13pm: Enter the Tiger Woods. Who smashes his tee shot at the first just off the back of the green. His playing partner, Danish youngster, Thorbjorn Olesen pushes his tee shot into the rough. A good test for him. Playing in the spotlight with a legend of the game.

3.16pm: Things are heating up. Adam Scott is making his way towards the tee. Tiger Woods chips close at the first but misses a highly makeable putt to record a bogey, while Graeme McDowell takes a bogey at the second. Sir Nick Faldo is getting excited, and so is Sir Evan Fanning, who will take over for the rest of the afternoon's play.

3.27pm: Right. Where are we? On the second with Tiger who takes aim at the pin which is at the back left of the green but doesn't quite get the accuracy he's looking for. On the 15th Bubba Watson is going to double-bogey which will take some of the shine off an otherwise excellent round. A lot of the shine in fact. Tiger makes par on the second as does G-Mac on the 3rd. Is there a worse acronym in sport than G-Mac? I doubt it.

3.31pm: How's this for Open Journalism? I stick a picture of some fans on a live blog and one of said fans emails in: "Just to let you know," writes Ally Dick, "that as a member of the group in your photo, we are currently Rickie Fowler fans, but at the darts later tonight we will be dutch fans, so all bases covered."

3.34pm: Tiger takes an iron off the tee on the 3rd. He takes a nervous glance after letting fly but he's safely on the fairway. On the 2nd Adam Scott gives himself an opportunity to move to ten under and a share of the lead with a glorious approach shot.

3.38pm: Snedeker has a 60-foot birdie putt and plays it save rolling to within a couple of feet of the pin and finishing off for par. He holds onto the outright lead as Scott gets the angles wrong on his 10-foot birdie putt and stays at nine under. As he misses there are great cheers from the 4th where McDowell birdies.

3.45pm: Tiger's expectant charge isn't quite materialising. He's dropped another shot at the 3rd after rolling a putt from a long way off the green way past the hole and needed two putts to clean up."I am sure I won't be the first nor last BUT ..." says Peter O'Dea, "Steven Alker is a New Zealander, the only Kiwi in the field." You are the first, Peter. You should be proud.

3.50pm: Mark Calcavecchia is really tearing it up out there - he birdies the 9tyh to move three under for the day and four under overall which leaves him tied for fifth place. Peter O'Dea was the first, but certainly not the last: "Middle of the night here in Auckland, NZ," writes Diane McNeilly. "Just read your leader board-- Steve Alker is a Kiwi and definitely not from Oz so pls correct your error! anything good/ successful that comes out of NZ, the Ozzies try to claim as their own!!! , eg Russell Crowe, Crowded House...... Etc etc. By the way, I am English!! My uncle and aunt live in Lytham, so may be there watching! Have a fun day, Go Steve Alker!" It's the good folk at the Press Association who have pegged Alker as an Aussie so try as you might I don't think we can blame this one on Australia. Second point: Crowded House?

3.55pm: Adam Scott tees off on the 4th and hits the fairway but unfortunately lands in a sand-filled divert. "He's a great swinger of a golf club," says Hazel Irvine which is convenient given that he's a golfer.

3.57pm: Tiger rolls a birdie putt inches past the hole on the 4th and leaves himself a little bit of work to do. I haven't mentioned Peter Lawrie yet today so here goes: Peter lawrie has gone par-par-par-par-par today.

4.01pm: Rory McIlroy has blamed a lack on consistency for his poor showing so far even though the lack of consistency is his poor showing. You can read all about that right here.

4.03pm: Tiger Woods goes in the bunker off the 5th while on the 4th Adam Scott makes light work of being in the divot and gives himself a 15-foot birdie attempt.

4.07pm: Tiger Woods comes out of the bunker brilliantly to save par on the 4th. Olesen has gone in the long grass on the 6th and ends up among the spectators to the left of the green. Snedeker drops a shot on the 5th - amazingly that's his first bogey of the entire tournament - and he falls to nine under alongside Adam Scott.

4.19pm: "Hi Evan, me again," says Diane McNeilly. "I'll leave you to google Crowded House! I noted you left Steve out of the last leader board! Thanks for the mention, I enjoy reading the commentary but best get back to sleep! Zzzzzz!" I know exactly who Crowded House are - I was simply surprised that you chose them as one of New Zealand's greatest cultural exports. What's wrong with Flight of the Conchords?

4.24pm: Tiger Woods sinks a huge putt on the 6th for birdie, only the third on that hole all day. He moves top five under, four shots off the lead.

4.26pm: Via the Twitter machine comes news that Carlos Tevez asked Rickie Fowler for his autograph in the practice range. Fowler signed having no idea who Tevez was. Do famous people really want other famous people's autographs? It seems that they do. Back on the course, Tiger has his driver out on the 7th and with a large thwack the ball nestles on the fairway.

4.31pm: More hot New Zealand chat, this time courtesy of Ryan Dunne. "Didn't New Zealand's official air-line describe itself as taking people "to Middle-Earth"? As such, that means that one can surely cite Gandalf, Frodo, that hot elf hoe etc as New Zealand cultural exports!"

4.35pm: On the 6th Adam Scott rolls a long putt just past the hole and cleans up for par. Snedeker has less luck and bogeys which means that Scott is now the outright leader on nine under.

4.37pm: On the 7th Snedeker gets a big bit of luck as his tee shot kicks off the bank at the edge of the bunker and lands safely on the fairway. Olsesen is in a bunker so deep it's basically dark down there but produces the shot of the day to come out and lands on the green.

4.40pm: "Give me a break," pleads Diane McNeilly, "didn't think of them. It is 3.30 am here and am hardly raring to go on all four cylinders!! You are right of course. Now I really am going back to the Land of Nod as my Dad calls it."

4.46pm: Snedeker birdies the second to move back to nine under and level with Adam Scott. But not for long as Scott also birdies to re-establish his one shot advantage. It could have been greater had his eagle putt dropped in the hole, as the loud gentleman in the crowd so desperately wanted it to.

4.52pm: Zach Johnson has finished an excellent round of 66 which leaves him five under overall, five shots off the kleader Adam Scott. Olesen is also on five under having responded well to his bogey on the 6th with birdies on the 7th and 8th.

5.01pm: Tiger Woods is very much in the reckoning - he now has three birdies in four holes and has moved to seven under.

5.04pm: Adam Scott responds to Tiger's charge with a brilliant birdie to move to 11 under. He has a lead of three now as Snedeker bogeys the 8th and falls to eight under.

5.08pm: It's not going well for Snedeker - he's gone in the big bunker on the left hand side of the green on the 9th. He comes out successfully but rolls off the back of the green and he will (most likely) drop another shot here.

5.12pm: He does drop the shot and falls to seven under, level with Mr Woods who very, very nearly sinks a 40-footer on the 10th but has to make do with par. Adam Scott makes par on the 9th and there is clear daylight (well four shots) between him and second place.

5.19pm: Adam Scott goes in the bunker from the tee on the 10th and has no choice but to clip out to the fairway. Snedeker takes a wedge to his second and lands nicely on the green and he will have a birdie putt. Scott recovers brilliantly and his putt hovers and hovers before dropping in hole for par Snedeker misses his birdie putt and stays four shots behind.

5.25pm: Tiger's third on the par five 11th looks mighty impressive but alas it fails to grab and rolls off the back of the green. Olesen's approach is beautiful and he will have a birdie putt.

5.29pm: Adam Scott is threatening to run away with this - he has an eagle putt on the 11th which looks for a moment as ifit's going to drop but comes up just short. he rolls his second putt in for birdie and moves to 12 under, while Snedeker drops another shot and is now in third. Graeme McDowell birdies the 14th to move to five under while Mark Calcavecchia finishes his round - he's one under for the day and two under overall.

5.45pm: McDowell has a long, long birdie putt on the 14th. He spends what seems like an age sizing it up but it's worth it as it drops in the hole and that's back-to-back birdies and he's now six under.

5.49pm: Adam Scott makes a handy par on the 12th to maintain his five short advantage over Tiger Woods who is going to have a birdie putt on the 13th.

5.57pm: The first minor chink in Adam Scott's armour as his approach shot on the 13th looks like it's headed for one of the two bunkers on the left of the green but he gets lucky and it holds right on the bank.

6.00pm: McDowell has realised there is a correlation between taking your time over putts and getting it in the hole. After back-to-back birdies he has another attempt on the 15th but it doesn't want to drop and he has to make do with par. Ernie Els also has a birdie putt on 16 but rockets it past the hole.

6.03pm: Adam Scott drops a shot on the 13th and falls to 11 under, four strokes ahead of Tiger Woods. Snedeker makes par and is four over for the day.

6.12pm: McDowell has another birdie putt on the 16th but leaves it inches short and that has to go down as a missed opportunity. He's very much in the mix, however, is G-Mac. I'm not sure that could be said about Brendt Snedeker who is on the slide and looks like dropping another shot on the 14th and that's after getting a big stroke of fortune as his second comes back off a spectator and lands on the fairway. He bogeys, falls to five over for the day, while Adam Scott makes par.

6.19pm: Tiger has a difficult two-putt to make par on the 14th. He does the first part well and will have a six-footer for par. Luke Donald is done in more ways than one. he's finished one over for the day, one under overall.

6.22pm: Woods misses his par putt and falls one shot further off the pace - he's five behind Adam Scott now.

6.26pm: Graeme McDowell is now the closest challenger to Adam Scott as he birdies the 17th and moves to seven under. What a back nine from G-Mac. If he takes this form into tomorrow then this could be another special Open for Northern Ireland.

6.30pm: The final pair of Adam Scott and Bredndt Snedeker both par the 15th while Tiger is going to have a birdie putt in the 16th.

6.32pm: Tiger Woods gets his angles wrong on birdie putt and will have to settle for par. As it stands he won't be in the final pair tomorrow.

6.35pm: Graeme McDowell gets a huge ovation as he walks up to the 18th green - he could have been in an even better poition of his birdie putts at 15 and 16 had dropped but three under for the day is pretty, pretty good as Larry David would say.

6.38pm: McDowell has a birdie putt on the 18th which will send the crowd wild but he doesn't give it enough welly and has to settle for par. Adam Scott has a birdie putt at the 16th to extend his lead over G-Mac but it doesn't quite carry and he knocks in a three-footer for par.

6.40pm: Finally - a birdie for Brendt Snedeker. That's his second of the day and moves him to six under. he's very much still in the mix with this score but needs to recapture his form from yesterday.

6.47pm: Paul Lawrie signs off a disappointing day with a triple-bogey which pretty much sums up the afternoon he has had. A hole back, Olesen knocks in a 10-footer to birdie the 17th and he moves onto five under. Woods knocks in for par.

6.50pm: Adam Scott's second on the 17th is from the light rough but it hinders him enough that he goes to the right of the green and is in a bunker and McDowell may be a shot closer to the lead in a couple of minutes. Snedeker is also wayward on the 17th and in a bunker to the left.

6.54pm: Scratch that. Scott comes brilliantly out of the bunker and it looks for a moment as if it's going to land in the hole. It doesn't but he saves par. Snedeker also plays a nifty shot out of the bunker and makes par. Tiger's approach on the 18th is near perfect and he will have a birdie putt to round off his afternoon.

6.58pm: Both Tiger and Thorbjorn Olesen get big ovations as they head up the 18th. Olesen's second went off the back of the green, hit the clubhouse wall but he seems to have enough room for a proper swing. Meanwhile the final pair both find the fairway on the last.

7.00pm: Olesen elects to putt and gets it slightly wrong and has a ten-footer for par. Tiger takes a while sizing up his birdie putt but he doesn't give it enough and completes a round of 70 and stays at six under par. Only 16 players out of 83 have broken par today.

7.03pm: Olesen's par putt lips out and he settles for a round of 71 and he's still in the mix at four under.

7.08pm: What a putt from Snedeker. What a finish. He holes from 25-yards to round off what has been a tough day on a high. He moves to seven under, tied for second with Graeme McDowell. Scott's birdie putt falls just short so the lead going into the final round will be four shots.